Brenda Whiteside's Blog, page 29
September 1, 2021
New Release
The Angel and The Demon by Terri Benson #western #romance
NEW RELEASE FROM CHAMPAGNE BOOK GROUP!
A prim, naïve preacher's daughter tasked with getting a handsome, persuasive train robber healthy enough to hang. What could possibly go wrong?
How about a western romance with plenty of action, great characters, and a complicated plot? I'm so happy to be able to announce the release of such a book by Terri Benson.
Angelique Lawson, a prim, naïve spinster, has an injured, murderous train robber dumped on her doorstep with instructions to get him healthy enough to hang. The handsome, persuasive Demon Daugherty stirs feelings she’s never felt in all her twenty-four years, but it’s clear he’s not to be trusted. When his true identity becomes known and she has the opportunity for true love, her own past comes back to haunt her. It takes a deadly disaster to bring them together, only to have their plans spiked by a conniving woman intent on claiming Demon for her own, no matter the method.
But Demons are fierce creatures and he risks it all to win Angelique back. Just when they think they have their happily ever after, a more violent, and persistent, threat comes between them.
Terri Benson has written a western romance that is sure to please. Get your copy today!
This man, this accused murderer—his face was the sort her dreams conjured. Perfectly proportioned. A faint puckered scar ran down the left side of his chin and another, crescent-shaped, was adjacent to his right eye. Rather than detracting, the slight imperfections reinforced his masculinity. A knight who’d fought a dragon to save his ladylove might have such scars. His hair, thick and lustrous, curled into a large comma-shape which dangled against his forehead.
She wished she could see his eyes. “Are they green? Perhaps blue? Would you look at me with longing like the handsome prince who rescues me each night? Would you want to run your hands over my…?” She clasped both hands over her mouth, mortified to find herself speaking of such things, even if he couldn’t hear her.
Forcing herself to focus on the task at hand, she fetched another basin of hot water and set about cleaning his lower body. She moved as quickly as possible, thankful the majority of blood had oozed down his hip and outside thigh to his knee allowing her to avoid his groin area. She used a torn piece of sheet to cover him, but her eyes kept straying to the spot as she smoothed the washcloth down his legs. Wondering. Imagining.
After wringing the last of the pink-tinged water from the cloth, Angelique stood at the foot of the bed and inspected the man. She noted several more scars, large and small, on his long, muscular legs. When her perusal reached the modest piece of white cloth, she made a conscious effort to address the bedding. She stripped off the blood-and-dirt-stained sheets, replacing them with clean, crisp linens smelling of sunshine and sage. The process took time as she heaved his unconscious body around as gently as possible.
After tucking in the last corner, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief and pulled the sheet up to his chin. She peered at his tranquil, handsome face, struggling to equate it to the face of a murderer. The man was not some noble knight. Not a highborn prince. Just a criminal soon to meet his maker, if the sheriff got his way.
A life-long writer, Terri is traditionally and self-published in novel length, with nearly a hundred articles and short stories published – many award winning. She was the Education Chair for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers for more than seven years, is an irregular blogger (in more ways than one), member of Sisters in Crime, presents workshops at writer’s conferences, and teaches night classes at Western Colorado Community College. Terri spends her non-writing time working at a Business Incubator, camping, jeeping, and dirt biking with her junior-high-school sweetheart/husband of 40+ years and a succession of Brittany spaniels. You can find more information on her at https://www.terribensonwriter.com/August 30, 2021
Secret Desires and Second Chance Love by J. L. Regen #romance
MUSE MONDAY
Please join me in welcoming J. L. Regen to Discover... for Muse Monday. She has a contemporary romance novel, Secret Desires, all about taking a second chance on love.
I have always wanted to write a romance. I was inspired by someone I dated many years ago who, like my hero, was so traumatized by his deceased wife, he couldn't make a commitment.
Unlike Edward and Margo who continue their relationship, my someone and I were destined to part.
What I wanted to convey in Secret Desires is a happier outcome when anyone takes a second chance on love.
This is ever more challenging in a pandemic but worth the effort.
BLURB: Nothing in Margo Simmons’s life comes easy. She can’t claim the inheritance on a condo apartment her uncle has left to her until she is gainfully employed in a job for a year. She meets the man of her dreams but anguishes over a loving relationship because he is still emotionally tied tohis deceased wife. With great difficulty, she becomes the guardian to a recently orphaned child she had been tutoring. Margo evolves from an insecure, newbie elementary teacher into a woman determined to fulfill the secret desires locked in her heart. My story speaks to anyone who has suffered a loss and had to start over.
Excerpt: MARGO SIMMONS GRIPPED THE EDGES of the leather chair, waiting for details from the family lawyer about her Uncle Harry’s death. She hoped it would be shorter and less painful than the reading of her father’s will.
An older gentleman extended his hand. “I’m sorry your mother couldn’t be here.”
Margo looked up from her reflections to acknowledge him. “Thanks, Mr. Steinberg.”
“You’ve grown into a lovely young woman.”
Margo blinked back tears at memories of good times shared with Uncle Harry. “Not so young. I’m twenty-three.”
The portly man squeezed himself into a swivel chair and peered at her over wire-rimmed bifocals. “I’m ancient compared to that number.”
Margo gripped her knees to steady her nerves. “My mother wanted to come with me, but they’re downsizing at her dress shop. She was afraid to leave early. My stepfather is furious because Uncle Harry didn’t leave him any money.”
Mr. Steinberg saddened at the sorrowful expression on the young woman’s face. “It pains me to hear Jerry hasn’t changed his ways. However, since you’re the only one present to hear your uncle’s will, I’ll get to the point. Harry has left you his Riverside Drive condominium apartment and the sum of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”
Margo jumped up from the chair and hugged the man. “This is a miracle. I can’t wait to tell my Mom. She’s wanted me to get out on my own. Now I can. Though I wish it hadn’t come with the loss of my uncle. I adored him.”
Buy links
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XKH8F7F
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secret-desires-j-l-regen/1125516296?ean=9780998409900
https://www.facebook.com/JoanRamirezAuthor
Bio: J.L. Regen’s book was inspired by a real-life story of lovers who join hearts against many odds. She lives in the New York metropolitan area, is a published photojournalist, has short suspense stories online, and has taught English as a Second Language to students around the globe. This is her first contemporary romance. She has also published three nonfiction books and is crafting a historical suspense set in World War II.
August 25, 2021
The Real Wickedness by Randy Overbeck #racism #RomanticSuspense #sale
WICKED WEDNESDAY
Please welcome my guest, Dr. Randy Overbeck with a very special Wicked Wednesday post. He entertains while making you think by drawing from society's wickedness. And be sure to read to the end for info on an incredible sale. Read on and enjoy!
“CRIMSON AT CAPE MAY does a great job of showcasing how even the most prominent members of a community cannot be excluded from suspicion when the evidence points toward their involvement, especially in the wake of cases such Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein.”—ReadersView.com
There is more than one kind of wickedness in the world. Our earth has birthed murderers and psychopaths, embezzlers and robbers, child abusers and sex traffickers. These evils persist in almost every culture and society around the globe and stretch across the centuries.
But there exists wickedness and evil that, though not as obvious, is just as threatening. That wickedness is where my words reside.
I realize readers come to my novels, BLOOD ON THE CHESAPEAKE or CRIMSON AT CAPE MAY, in search of a little mystery or a great beach read or even a bit of romance—and they say they are hardly ever disappointed—but I also try use my fiction to raise important social issues and expose very real wickedness.
The first novel in my series may illustrate. In BLOODON THE CHESAPEAKE, the narrative thread of the cold-case murder is intertwined around the issue of racial injustice. So, when I selected my antagonist for this story, I wanted to be sure he was a reflection of the real world of racial bias, of wicked racial bigotry.
Dr. William “Bud” Williams, the villain of my tale—or at least one of them—is, by most social norms, a good guy, a really good guy. He comes from a well-heeled family, is a respected town physician and serves children as president of the local school board. He heralds from a long line which goes back to the town founders and Bud is a man you’d want to know and have on your side to get anything done in Wilshire.
But, like thousands of other privileged white males, Williams’ belief system is skewed to assure him he is more gifted and more privileged than …well, others, especially those with a different skin color. While he displays the appropriate social graces, his sense of superiority still seeps out and, though he tries to keep it underwraps, his racial bias rears its inevitable ugly head from time to time.
Sadly, Williams’ wickedness is hardly atypical. Many in the fictional town of Wilshire—and in our real world—share his prejudiced “sensibilities.” But, as the reader learns, Williams’ wickedness runs deeper, as he hides an ugly secret from his past. When Bud was only a teenager, he and a few of his friends decided another classmate needed to be taught a lesson. The guy was fooling around with a white girl and he was, well, black. Back then, things got out of hand and somehow, the young black kid ended up at the end of a rope. But it was “an
accident and a long time ago.”
Now, the adult, Dr. William “Bud” Williams has long ago dismissed any guilt for the act. That is until Darrell, our hero—who also happens to be a high school teacher and coach and a sensitive—exposes the secret and secures justice for the murdered young man.My hope is that the crafting of this credible antagonist will help expose this strain of wickedness, a particularly insidious type of wickedness which all too often goes unacknowledged and unchallenged in our world.
Not all wickedness is obvious. But all wickedness, especially racism, poisons the human condition. The poison of racism may not destroy our nature outright, but it is toxic enough to rot the soul from the inside out.
"The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." ~Albert Einstein
BLURB—BLOOD ON THE CHESAPEAKE
Wilshire, Maryland seems like the perfect shore town on the Chesapeake Bay—quiet, scenic, charming—and promises Darrell Henshaw a new start in life and a second chance at love. That is, until he learns the town hides an ugly secret. A thirty-year-old murder in the high school. And a frightening ghost stalking his new office. Burned by an earlier encounter with the spirit world—with the OCD scars to prove it—he does NOT want to get involved. But when the desperate ghost hounds him, Darrell concedes. Assisted by his new love, he follows a trail that leads to the civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and even the Klu Klux Klan. Then, when two locals who try to help are murdered, Darrell is forced to decide if he’s willing to risk his life—and the life of the woman he loves—to expose the killers of a young man he never knew.
Incredible sale on the entire Haunted Shores Mysteries series!
BLOOD ON THE CHESAPEAKE-$.99, CRIMSON AT CAPE MAY--$1.99, SCARLET AT CRYSTAL RIVER (pre-publication price)—$2.99.
BOOK LINKS:
BIO Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, author and speaker. As an educator, he served children for more than three decades in a range of roles captured in his novels, from teacher and coach to principal and superintendent. His thriller, Leave No Child Behind (2012) and his recent mysteries, the Amazon and B & N No. 1 Best Seller, Blood on the Chesapeake and Crimson at Cape May have earned five star reviews and garnered national awards including “Thriller of the Year--ReadersFavorite.com, “Gold Award”—Literary Titan, “Mystery of the Year”—ReadersView.com and “Crowned Heart of Excellence”—InD’Tale Magazine. As a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Dr. Overbeck is an active member of the literary community, contributing to a writers’ critique group, serving as a mentor to emerging writers and participating in writing conferences such as Sleuthfest, Killer Nashville and the Midwest Writers Workshop. When he’s not writing or researching his next exciting novel or sharing his presentation “Things Still Go Bump in the Night,” he’s spending time with his incredible family of wife, three children (and their spouses) and seven wonderful grandchildren.
randyoverbeck@authorrandyoverbeck.com
https://twitter.com/OverbeckRandy/media
https://www.facebook.com/authorrandyoverbeck
https://www.instagram.com/authorrandyoverbeck/
August 24, 2021
It's A Party #GiftCard #Win
Scavenger hunts are so much fun. And now you can play from the comfort of your home. Hey, you don't even have to change out of your jammies. It's a reading scavenger hunt.
And who can't use a $100 Gift Card?
There are two ways to win and it’s easy to play– first read the blurb after clicking on the link below, then answer the question on the first Rafflecopter. You might win a $100 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC (along with other prizes). Follow and visit authors’ social media pages on the second Rafflecopter and you’re entered to win another $100 Amazon/BN GC (along with other prizes)!
August 23, 2021
A Great Morning Wake Up
August 19, 2021
New Release Pre-Order
August 18, 2021
Mystery on Spirit Mountain #newrelease #WickedWednesday
WICKED WEDNESDAY
I am WICKEDLY HAPPY to announce the second book in The Mackenzie Chronicles is available for pre-order. You are going to love the villains in Mystery on Spirit Mountain. Not only do you get to love to hate a villainess scheming in present day Joshua, but you'll meet another from the 1920s.
The past never sleeps.The truth never dies. In book one, Magpie MacKenzie took center stage. In Mystery on Spirit Mountain, her brother, Harlan MacKenzie's story is sure to keep you turning the pages.
Only Harlan MacKenzie can sense the troubled history of the Big Purple House. When he’s hired to restore the historical mansion, he doesn’t foresee the secrets—secrets that entangle his family in deceit and murder.
Phaedra is selling the house that has been in her family for decades. As her friends-to-lovers relationship with Harlan escalates, she puts her values on the line and chances losing him.
After a stranger comes to town, weaving her web of deception, hell-bent on correcting an old grievance connected to the house, dark revelations of the past implode the present. Harlan and Phaedra are thrown on a dangerous path, not only risking love but possibly their lives.
Come visit the MacKenzies in Joshua, Arizona...mining boomtown turned ghost town turned hippie haven turned tourist destination...hanging on the side of Spirit Mountain. Every MacKenzie has a story to tell that is earthly, yet mysterious.
Pre-order now and the book will be delivered into your reader on September 15. Just click HERE!
Print books are available right now to order. Would you like a signed copy, personalized for you? Send me a note, and I'll do just that.
August 16, 2021
My Unusual Deities By Amara Dey #paranormal #MuseMonday
Join me in welcoming Amara Dey to Muse Monday on Discover... She's a brand new author with a great imagination and fun stories to tell!
From a young age, I have been captivated by the ancient gods and love reading about them and their magical adventures. When I began writing novels, I found myself inspired by the deities that enchanted me since childhood.
In my debut book, NO MERE MORTAL, I based my characters on an uncommon pantheon of deities called the Orishas. They are the Gods of Latin America. Very like the Greek/Roman/Norse versions in their magical abilities, but more exotic. I also feature them as brothers-in-arms to my fictional pantheon, the Decagons.
As a nod to my ethnic background and to my Cuban friend, Jovi, who first told me the stories of the Orishas. (www.amaradey.uk/series-and-extracts#Extract1).
Blurb: NO MERE MORTAL – Decagon Book 1
Venus Myles, orphaned at birth, is a London-based dance teacher and unaware of her divine lineage – that is until a strange encounter thrusts her into a world of Gods and magic.
She learns from Bolt, a disgraced deity from the planet Decagon, that she is his realm’s savior, and a passionate connection sizzles between them. But when Bolt unexpectedly disappears, a determined Venus travels to Decagon to find him and learn more about her destiny.
Assuming, of course, she can escape the powerful and deadly witch Ansa, who wants her dead, find Bolt, and tap into her dormant magical abilities.
And do it in time to stop an apocalypse that will destroy her, Bolt, his world, and his kind.
Excerpt:
Power tasted good and Venus realized, without doubt, she wanted magical abilities too. She’d revisit the issue with Bolt who, at the moment, chanted a spell which body-bagged the putrid corpse. Venus rushed to Bolt.
He pulled her close, then leaned back. “Any injuries? Show me where and I’ll kiss them better.”
Venus pointed to her knee poking through her torn Lycra pants. Bolt kissed his finger, touched the cuts, and they vanished.
“I thought you meant kiss it better in the metaphorical sense,” she said.
“I’d never speak figuratively about kissing you.” Bolt hugged her tight once more.
“I couldn’t believe Zaru dented your armor,” Venus said, after a few moments of enjoying Bolt’s hugs.
“Me neither until the blood pounded in my ears, and my lungs burned from lack of oxygen. The room spun and faded. Sounds grew dull. Blackness rushed up then shazam, I recovered. The Mirror worked its sorcery?”
Venus gazed at him and nodded. “Laser beam. Zaru scared me Bolt, I thought he’d take off your head.”
“Not with you around to stop him,” Bolt said. “You kept hold of the Mirror when my thunderbolt struck. A feat on its own. I believe a molecule of magic is inside you, young lady.”
“I’m ready to embrace it if it’s there.”
Bolt’s lips brushed her hair. “It pleases me this unpleasant fight hasn’t turned you off it.”
“The opposite, your Power, and Mum’s, combat evil, and I want to play a part.”
Buy links:
https://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-1977-6-no-mere-mortal/
https://amazon.com/author/amaradey
https://amazon.co.uk/author/amaradey
https://www.extasybooks.com/amara-dey
https://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Mere-Mortal-Decagon-Book-ebook/dp/B07MLMQYYJ/
https://www.amazon.com/No-Mere-Mortal-Decagon-Book-ebook/dp/B07MLMQYYJ\
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-mere-mortal-amara-dey/1130327026?ean=2940156307777
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/no-mere-mortal
Bio:
Amara Dey, for magic, danger, and everlasting love Born in Guyana, South America, Amara Dey lives in London, England, where she writes paranormal romance for Extasy Books. (https://www.extasybooks.com/amara-dey)
Her stories reflect her mixed ethnic background, her fascination with magic and adventure, and her love of dance. Like her characters, Amara dances Salsa.
She holds an Honours Degree in Business Studies and has worked in finance, law, and law enforcement over the years. (https://www.amaradey.uk/bio)
Social Media links:
https://www.facebook.com/amaradeyauthor
https:///twitter.com/AnnDrayton5
August 13, 2021
Leaving the Nest
Marilyn Barr
